Long Term Residency

Applications for Long Term Residency - We are currently processing applications received in the third quarter of 2008.

LONG TERM RESIDENCY (FEES) REGULATIONS 2009 come into effect from 7 September 2009

Please see 

S.I. No. 287 of 2009.pdf   This document is a pdf 

How do I know if I am eligible to apply for Long Term Residency in Ireland?

Applications for Long Term Residency in Ireland are currently processed as an administrative scheme. Persons who have been legally resident in the State for over five years (i.e. 60 months) on the basis of work permits/work authorisation/work visa conditions may apply to this office for a five year residency extension. In that context, they may also apply to be exempt from employment permit requirements. 

Long Term Residency is granted on the basis that a non EEA national has completed five years (i.e. 60 months) legal residence in the State on work permit conditions which is reflected in the corresponding Stamp 1 or Stamp 4 endorsements on a person's passport (not by the dates of commencement and expiry of each work permit). When calculating the reckonable period of 60 months legal residence, this office only takes into consideration time spent in the State legally on work permit conditions. Periods of time for which a person has not been legally resident in the state (i.e. does not have an up to date endorsement on work permit conditions on their passport) cannot be counted towards an application for Long Term Residency. 

The dependants of the applicant for Long Term Residency, who have been legally resident in the State as for over five years (i.e. 60 months) may also apply for Long Term Residency. It should be emphasised that, in order to apply for Long Term Residency as a dependant, the applicant must be legally resident in the State as a dependant for the required 60 month period prior to application. This particular long term permission does not exempt the dependant(s) from employment permit requirements. 

A successful applicant will be granted Permission to Remain on a Stamp 4 which is valid for 5 years. Successful applications from those who apply as a dependant will be granted Permission to Remain on a Stamp 3. 

(Note: See last paragraph for categories of persons for which applications for Long Term Residency cannot be accepted).

How do I apply?

The following documents, together with a covering letter of application clearly indicating the passport endorsements relating to each work permit, should be submitted to: 

The Long Term Residency Section,

General Immigration Division,

3rd Floor,

INIS,

13-14 Burgh Quay,

Dublin 2

 

Documents to be lodged:

1. Copy of applicant's work permits.

2. Copy of applicant's Certificate of Registration from Garda National Immigration Bureau (i.e. GNIB Card).

3. Clear and legible copy (or copies) of applicant's passport(s) including all endorsements. (In the event that your passport has expired since arriving in the State, please submit copies of both passports).

Permission to Remain

Applicants are also advised to keep their permission to remain up to date at all times (including the period while their application is being processed).

Processing time is approximately 18 months. 

What if I do not have the appropriate 60 months?

Applications from non EEA nationals who have not completed the 60 months legal residency at time of application will not be accepted.

Fee for Long Term Residency

  • The prescribed fee for Long Term Residency is €500. This fee is payable within 28 days of an applicant being approved for Long Term Residency. 
  • Payment can be made by way of a bank draft or postal order made payable to the Secretary General, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
  • Payment in the form of personal or company cheques cannot be accepted. 
  • If the prescribed fee is not paid within 28 days of the issue of the approval letter to the applicant or their representative, the application will be deemed abandoned and the applicant will have to re-apply for Long Term Residency.

Summary of Eligibility Requirements for Long Term Residency:

Persons who have been legally resident in the State may apply for Long Term Residency subject to the conditions below: 

  • The qualifying time is 5 years (60 months) at the date of application.
  • Only legal residence on work permit/work authorisation/working visa conditions can be taken into account.
  • Residence referred to must be reflected by Stamp 1 or Stamp 4 endorsements on applicant's passport and not by dates on work permits.
  • Applicants must be of good character.
  • Applicants must have permission to remain at time of application and must keep their permission to remain up to date while application is being processed.
  • Time periods where a person does not have permission to remain are not counted when calculating reckonable residence.
  • It should also be noted that dependants of applicants who have been successfully granted Long Term Residency may apply for Long Term Residency but will only be granted a Stamp 3 (Dependant's stamp) for 5 years and are not released from work permit conditions should their application be successful.
  • The applicant is a migrant worker who formerly held employment permits and who has since become undocumented through no fault of their own (see INIS website (www.inis.gov.ie) re Administrative Scheme set up in 2009 for Migrant Workers who formerly held employment permits and who have become undocumented through no fault of their own).

Applications for Long Term Residency cannot be accepted from persons in the categories below: 

  • The applicant is an EEA National (EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein & Norway) 
  • The applicant has permission to remain on the basis of his/her marriage to an Irish national (refer applicant to Spouse of Irish National Unit). 
  • The applicant has permission to remain on the basis of his/her marriage to an EEA national. (refer applicant to EU Treaty Rights Section) 
  • The applicant has permission to remain on Student Conditions (stamp 2 & stamp 2A) 
  • The applicant has permission to remain as a temporary registered doctor. 
  • The applicant has permission to remain as a fully registered doctor but has no work permits issued to him/her. 
  • The applicant has permission to remain under the old IBC and IBC-05 schemes or has had such permission renewed. (refer to IBC section) 
  • The applicant was granted permission to remain under the Turkish Agreement (Turkish Association – Stamp 4 for 1 year – renewable with local Immigration Officer) 
  • The applicant was granted permission to remain under Humanitarian Leave to Remain or was granted Refugee Status or entered the State under the Family Reunification scheme. 
  • The applicant has permission to remain on the basis of an Intra-company Transfer. 
  • The applicant is working at a foreign embassy in the State. 
  • Permission to Remain issued under the Work Holiday Authorisation scheme (see www.dfa.ie) is not counted for the purposes of Long Term Residency. 
  • The applicant has Business Permission to Remain. The awarding of Business Permission to Remain is not a statutory-based scheme and no work permit is issued to the applicant. Information on this scheme can be found on the INIS website under 'Immigration'. 
  • The applicant applicant is a migrant worker who formerly held employment permits and who has since become undocumented through no fault of their own re Administrative Scheme set up in 2009 for Migrant Workers who formerly held employment permits and who have become undocumented through no fault of their own(Undocumented Workers Scheme).